Exam 1 Flashcards
what is sociology?
the scientific study of human interactions and their societies
what is a social science?
understanding the social world objectively
-opinions, objective (fair, unbiased)
what is science?
systematically with a purpose to make sense of our world
what are the goals of science? (3)
explanation: answering whys
generalize: go behind the individual
predict: future
what is the sociological perspective?
understanding human behavior by placing it in its broader social context
-“everyone does it”
what is social location?
people’s group membership in time and society
what is society?
group of people who share a culture and territory
what is sociological imagination?
relationship b/w individual experiences and society that shape our actions
what did C. Wright Mill do?
-ability to see the general in the specific
-need to understand history of society and the individual
-intersection of biography, history, and society
what are personal “troubles”?
private matters involving individual’s personal characteristics
-relatively narrow scope
what are public “issues”?
go beyond the lives of individual
-broader scope
-social causes and social outcomes
what are the three things that lead to the development of sociology?
-social upheaval
-expansion of imperialism
-success of natural sciences
what is social upheaval?
shifting from agriculture to industrial
-poor working conditions, child labor, etc.
-every aspect of life changed
what was the expansion of imperialism?
geological expansion of a nation and their resources
-people sent to other countries
-observation of other cultures and how they function
what was the success of natural sciences?
getting answers from our world using science
-physics, chemistry, etc.
what is Positivism?
scientific method to the social world
what is August Cornte do?
-FRENCH
-observed social order and social change
-used science
-LOGOs (study of being together)
-create sociolgie (never researched)
what did Karl Marx do?
-GERMAN
-social arguments/conflicts
-how it effects the economy
-wanted to get rid of the bourgeoisie
-contributed to Conflict Theory
what did Herbert Spencer do?
-ENGLISH
-societies operate on fixed laws
-societies evolve and change
-social Darwinism
who created the first sociology textbook
Herbert Spencer
what are 3 tendencies shared by societies and organisms?
-growth in size
-high complexity of structure
-differentiation of function
what did Emile Durkheim do?
-FRENCH
-first to do a sociology study
-focused on religion
-worked with Spencer to create Functionalism
what is social integration?
how people are connected to their social group
what did Max Weber do?
-GERMAN
-clarified the works of Marx and Durkheim
-focused on constant social change
-interested in religion
-contributed to symbolic interactionism
-created Verstehen
what is Verstehen?
empathetic understanding
-to make sense
-not making assumptions
-get info from those experiencing it
what is subjective meaning?
how people interpret their own behaviors
what did Harriet Martineau do?
-BRITISH
-analyzed social life around the world
-hid her note (she was a woman)
-wrote “society in america”
-know for translating Compte
what did Jane Adams do?
-AMERICAN
-traveled to Europe
-looked at poverty and social justice
-co-winner of 1921 Nobel Peace Prize
-wanted to bridge the gap b/w rich and poor
what did WEB DuBois do?
-AMERICAN
-first african american researcher in sociology
-looked into social justice and racism
-wrote over 2,000 pieces
-founded NAACP
-
what is a theory?
framework of how we make sense of our world through distinct observations
what is a paradigm?
general framework of looking at life
what are the three main theories of sociology?
-functionalism
-conflict theory
-symbolic interactionism
what is functionalism?
life works like a set of parts that work together
-smooth functioning of society
-parts operate together and when in harmony, so it society
criticisms to functionalism
-can’t account for change
-conservative bias (never wanting to change)
what is a teleological argument?
-philosophical: everything has a purpose
-scientific: cause and effect
what is the conflict theory?
-society is always changing
-response to social inequality
-how do those in power, stay in power
criticisms to conflict theory
-doesn’t account for stability
-emphasis on economic sources
what is symbolic interactionism?
focus on individuals and how we make sense of our world
-definitions and meanings in human interaction
criticisms to symbolic interactionism
too much focus on individual and doesn’t account for society
what is macro level analysis?
large-scale as a whole
-big picture
which theories are macro level analysis?
functionalism and conflict theory
what is micro level analysis?
small-scale
-specific things
which theories are micro level analysis?
symbolic interactionism
the 8 steps of research
- select a topic
- define the problem or purpose
- review previous research
- develop a hypothesis
- determine the research design
- define the sample and collect data
- analyze results and draw conclusions
- share the research results
what are empirical questions?
answered by observing the world
-NOT faith, value
what are operational definitions?
explanation of observable features
what is a hypothesis?
a testable statement b/w 2+ variables and the expected relationship
what is a variable?
something that changes or is different from case to case
what is an independent variable?
changes that have nothing to do with dependent variable
-cause/influencing factor
what is a dependent variable?
changes in response to the independent variable
-the effect
what is causality?
one variable influences/alters another variable
what is correlation?
relationship b/w variables, but not the cause of eachother
all 1 relationships are 2 but 3 are NOT 4
- casual
- correlated
- correlations
- causal
what do surveys test?
-attitude and beliefs
-able to test a lg. group of people
what are surveys bad at testing?
behaviors
what do observations test?
behavior
what are observations bad at testing?
attitudes
what do experiments test?
relationship b/w variables
what is a population?
specific group/category of interest for a study
what is a sample?
particular subset of a population
what is validity?
extent to which ones study actually tests what it was designed for
what is reliability?
study can be reproduced and have consistent results
-does NOT mean accurate
what is culture?
what humans
-learn to do
-use
-produce
-know
-believe
-behave
in a social group
what is material culture?
things we can touch (objects)
what is nonmaterial culture?
thinking, doing, knowledge, memories
what is ethnocentrism?
judging someone else’s culture based on your own beliefs
what is culture relativism?
understanding people by the standards of their own culture
what is culture shock?
in a situation where your normal day-to-day life is very different in a different culture
what are the 9 elements of culture?
- symbols
- language
- gestures
- values
- norms
- sanctions
- folkways
- mores
- taboo
what are sanctions?
reward and punishment for upholding and violating norms
-informal (+)
-informal (-)
-formal (+)
-formal (-)
what are folkways?
norms not strictly enforced (casual clothes for class)
what are mores?
norms strictly enforced to maintain values
what is taboo?
norms so strong, when violated it is repulsed
-incest, catabolism
what is a cultural log?
one aspect of culture changes faster than other aspects
-material culture
what is innovation?
new practice/tool that is widely accepted
what is diffusion?
different cultures blending together
what is culture capital?
knowledge, skills, ideas, behaviors that serve as a form of wealth
types of culture capital?
-institutionalized
-embodied
-objectified
what are examples of institutionalized?
qualifications, honors, awards, titles
what are examples of embodied?
knowledge, language, beliefs, tastes, style, habits
what are examples of objectified?
possessions, property
what is social class reproduction?
the way class status is passed on from generation to generation
what is the flow of culture change?
culture capital -> academic achievement -> economic capital -> class reproduction
